Prayer for this Independence Day

Almighty God, you rule all the peoples of the earth.
Inspire the minds of all women and men to whom you have committed
the responsibility of government and leadership
in the nations of the world.
Give to them the vision of truth and justice,
that by their counsel all nations and peoples may work together.
Give to the people of our country
zeal for justice and strength of forbearance,
that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will.
Forgive our shortcomings as a nation;
purify our hearts to see and love the truth.
We pray all these things through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Taken from The United Methodist Book of Worship

The Book of Acts, Part 12

Prayer Requests

If you have a prayer request for this week that you would like to share with others and me, please click on "comments" immediately below this post and write it out in the provided space. Doing that will enable anyone who clicks on "comments" to read and pray for your request(s).

You may also want to check back later to discover how you can pray for someone else...or offer your support and encouragement.

If you have a prayer request that is more private in nature, then please do not hesitate to email me directly. My email address is DaleTedder@yahoo.com. It would be an honor and a blessing to pray for you.

Blessings,
Dale

Tozer Devotion for This Lord's Day

Images: God's and Ours

God made mankind in His own image. He "set eternity in the hearts of men" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). What a graphic picture! How much it explains ourselves to us! We are creatures of time—time in our hands, our feet, our bodies—that causes us to grow old and to die. Yet all the while we have eternity in our hearts!

One of our great woes as fallen people living in a fallen world is the constant warfare between the eternity in our hearts and the time in our bodies. This is why we can never be satisfied without God. This is why the question "What is God like?" continues to spring from every one of us. God has set the values of eternity in the hearts of every person made in His image.

As human beings, we have ever tried to satisfy ourselves by maintaining a quest, a search. We have not forgotten that God was. We have only forgotten what God is like.

Philosophy has tried to give us answers. But the philosophical concepts concerning God have always been contradictory.The philosopher is like a blind person trying to paint someone’s portrait. The blind person can feel the face of his subject and try to put some brush strokes on canvas. But the project is doomed before it is begun. The best that philosophy can do is to feel the face of the universe in some ways, then try to paint God as philosophy sees Him.

Most philosophers confess belief in a “presence” somewhere in the universe. Some call it a "law"—or "energy" or "mind" or "essential virtue." Thomas Edison said if he lived long enough, he thought he could invent an instrument so sensitive that it could find God. Edison was an acknowledged inventor. He had a great mind and he may have been a philosopher. But Edison knew no more about God or what God is like than the boy or girl who delivers the morning newspaper.

Verse: Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness . . .' Genesis 1:26

Thought: God created us in His own image. That image has been marred and distorted by sin but not destroyed. What a tragedy that we are inclined to think of Him as if we had formed Him in our image.

Prayer: May today my understanding of You grow. You are GOD! And I am Your child, Your sheep, Your servant.

Taken from the Tozer Devotional page at the Christian Missionary Alliance

Battle Hymn of the Republic

Scripture for This Lord's Day

Psalm 48:1-14
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
[2] It is beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth.
Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
the city of the Great King.
[3] God is in her citadels;
he has shown himself to be her fortress.

[4] When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,
[5] they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.
[6] Trembling seized them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
[7] You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
shattered by an east wind.

[8] As we have heard,
so have we seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure forever. Selah

[9] Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.
[10] Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with righteousness.
[11] Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.

[12] Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,
[13] consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them to the next generation.
[14] For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.

God's Purpose in Our Pain - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

John MacArthur

Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 27

Infant Baptism

72. Question: Does this outward washing with water itself wash away sins?

Answer: No, only the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins.[1]

[1] Matt. 3:11; I Pet. 3:21; I John 1:7.

73. Question: Why then does the Holy Spirit call baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins?

Answer: God speaks in this way for a good reason. He wants to teach us that the blood and Spirit of Christ remove our sins just as water takes away dirt from the body.[1] But, even more important, He wants to assure us by this divine pledge and sign that we are as truly cleansed from our sins spiritually as we are bodily washed with water.[2]

[1] I Cor. 6:11; Rev. 1:5; 7:14. [2] Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3, 4; Gal. 3:27.

74. Question: Should infants, too, be baptized?

Answer: Yes. Infants as well as adults belong to God's covenant and congregation.[1] Through Christ's blood the redemption from sin and the Holy Spirit, who works faith, are promised to them no less than to adults.[2] Therefore, by baptism, as sign of the covenant, they must be grafted into the Christian church and distinguished from the children of unbelievers.[3] This was done in the old covenant by circumcision,[4] in place of which baptism was instituted in the new covenant.[5]

[1] Gen. 17:7; Matt. 19:14. [2] Ps. 22:11; Is. 44:1-3; Acts 2:38, 39; 16:31. [3] Acts 10:47; I Cor. 7:14. [4] Gen. 17:9-14. [5] Col. 2: 11-13.

Prayer for this Lord's Day

Great God, in public and private, in sanctuary and home, may my life be steeped in prayer, filled with the spirit of grace and supplication, each prayer perfumed with the incense of atoning blood. Help me, defend me, until from praying ground I pass to the realm of unceasing praise. Urged by my need, invited by Thy promises, called by Thy Spirit, I enter Thy presence, worshipping Thee with godly fear, awed by Thy majesty, greatness, glory, but encouraged by Thy love.

I am all poverty as well as all guilt, having nothing of my own with which to repay Thee, but I bring Jesus to Thee in the arms of faith, pleading His righteousness to offset my iniquities, rejoicing that He will weigh down the scales for me, and satisfy thy justice. I bless Thee that great sin draws out great grace, that, although the lest sin deserves infinite punishment because done against an infinite God, yet there is mercy for me, for where guilt is most terrible, there Thy mercy in Christ is most free and deep. Bless me by revealing to me more of His saving merits, by causing Thy goodness to pass before me, by speaking peace to my contrite heart; strengthen me to give Thee no rest untiI Christ shall reign supreme within me in every thought, word, and deed, in a faith that purifies the heart, overcomes the world, works by love, fastens me to Thee, and ever clings to the cross.

Taken from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, edited by Arthur Bennett

The Book of Acts, Part 11

Prayer Requests

If you have a prayer request for this week that you would like to share with others and me, please click on "comments" immediately below this post and write it out in the provided space. Doing that will enable anyone who clicks on "comments" to read and pray for your request(s).

You may also want to check back later to discover how you can pray for someone else...or offer your support and encouragement.

If you have a prayer request that is more private in nature, then please do not hesitate to email me directly. My email address is DaleTedder@yahoo.com. It would be an honor and a blessing to pray for you.

Blessings,
Dale

Tozer Devotion for This Lord's Day

Our Guide into Truth

The unity of all things in Christ is a concept every believer should lay hold of. When we witness the future day of Christ’s triumph, when He returns and we reach the consummation of all things, then we will fully comprehend the necessity for the “all things” in God’s eternal plan.

Many people are having their greatest battles over their deepening sense of futility and uselessness. It is important that we grasp God’s revelation that every one of us is essential to His great plan for the ages. You will seek answers in vain from fellow men and women. Seek your answers rather from God and His Word. He is sovereign; He is still running His world.

God wants us to know that He must have all the parts in order to compose His great eternal symphony. He would have us assured that each one of us is indispensable to His grand theme!

Verse: But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. John 16:13-14

Thought: It is the Holy Spirit who is the ultimate revealer of Christ and His Word. God speaks and ministers to us through other members of Christ's body, just as He seeks to reach out through you and me to others. But the Spirit is the one who authenticates and applies truth. Let's be in tune with Him!

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, for the Church through whom You minister to me. And thank You for the Holy Spirit who is the ultimate revealer of You and Your Word.

Taken from the Tozer Devotional page at the Christian Missionary Alliance

O God, Our Help in Ages Past

Scripture for This Lord's Day

Psalm 130:1-8
A song of ascents.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord;
[2] O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

[3] If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
[4] But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

[5] I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
[6] My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

[7] O Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
[8] He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

Why Does Evil Dominate the World?, Pt. 1

John MacArthur

Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 26

Holy Baptism

69. Question: How does holy baptism signify and seal to you that the one sacrifice of Christ on the cross benefits you?

Answer: In this way: Christ instituted this outward washing[1] and with it gave the promise that, as surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly His blood and Spirit wash away the impurity of my soul, that is, all my sins.[2]

[1] Matt. 28:19. [2] Matt. 3:11; Mark 16:16; John 1:33; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3, 4; I Pet. 3:21.

70. Question: What does it mean to be washed with Christ's blood and Spirit?

Answer: To be washed with Christ's blood means to receive forgiveness of sins from God, through grace, because of Christ's blood, poured out for us in His sacrifice on the cross.[1] To be washed with His Spirit means to be renewed by the Holy Spirit and sanctified to be members of Christ, so that more and more we become dead to sin and lead a holy and blameless life.[2]

[1] Ez. 36:25; Zech. 13:1; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 12:24; I Pet. 1:2; Rev. 1:5; 7:14. [2] John 3:5-8; Rom. 6:4; I Cor. 6:11; Col. 2:11, 12.

71. Question: Where has Christ promised that He will wash us with His blood and Spirit as surely as we are washed with the water of baptism?

Answer: In the institution of baptism, where He says: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16). This promise is repeated where Scripture calls baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins (Titus 3:5; Acts 22:16).

A Real Ministry of Discipleship (A Devotion)

Acts 14:22

strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.

I have been the Minister of Discipleship at Southside for ten years. During that time I have discovered that as each year goes by, my ministry seems to evolve and encompass more than the year before. But there are some constants that keep me grounded and focused. These “constants” are the heart and soul of what I pray my ministry is all about.

I described one of those constants a while ago when I wrote about one of my heroes, Ezra. His was a ministry of the Word…one that I hope I am able to emulate in and through my life.

Today’s scripture emphasizes another area of my ministry that I also regard as its heart and soul. Acts 14:22 says that after Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel and won a large number to Christ, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch to “strengthen the disciples and to encourage them to remain true to the faith.” Why? Because “we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

Jesus tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that the path of discipleship is narrow and hard. It is not for the weak-of-heart, nor for the half-hearted. There are obstacles around every turn, as Christian discovered in “Pilgrim’s Progress.” And we know this much is true: many who begin, do not make it to the end.

That is why a ministry of “strengthening and encouraging” is so vital. We need to be constantly built up in our faith and reminded of the joy set before us that makes all of the trials and tribulations worth our effort.

I count it as a singular blessing and privilege to be able to minister to fellow travelers as we walk this pilgrim’s path together. To be allowed to help strengthen and encourage followers of Christ to persevere on their journey is a calling for which I thank God with all of my heart.

But you don’t have to be ordained to serve others in this way. Every Christian is called to come along side his or her brother or sister in Christ and aid them in their pursuit of the Celestial City (which is reason #102 why you should read "Pilgrim’s Progress"). To act as an agent or ambassador of God’s grace in the life of another is a holy honor indeed.

So let me encourage you to open your eyes. Look for those people in your life whose gait has slowed of late and whose feet appear to be stumbling more than usual. Walk along side them and build them back up in the faith. Remind them of the gracious and sovereign Lord who daily calls them home and who promises that their arduous labor will bear glorious and everlasting fruit.

Stand Firm,
Dale

What is Good Stewardship of Creation?

by Special Guest Contributor, Rev. Mike Hudson

The issue we face is not whether we are to care for creation, but how are we to care for it. It is clear from the creation story in Genesis that humanity, as the pinnacle of creation, is to steward what God has made. How this is done should be openly discussed. However, unless one joins the radical calls for limiting human activity (such as using energy) or depopulating the planet, that person is immediately labeled as an uncaring person who wants to abuse the earth or they are told the debate is over. This quickly leads to bad stewardship.

A good steward constantly evaluates the how because a good steward wants to be effective and produce good things from his/her efforts. By shutting off debate and not asking questions about the methods used for caring for the earth, we are not being good stewards and the consequences of our actions are disastrous.

Consider the Ethanol Mandate passed by President Bush in 2008. The mandate required that up to ten percent of a gallon of gas be ethanol. This was passed with good intentions. It was meant to reduce the use of fossil fuels for the good of the environment. People wanted to be good stewards of the earth, but the results were far from good. Not only does ethanol (the one-time answer to alternative fuels) not burn cleaner or use less energy, it caused food prices to soar over night in poor countries around the world. Food riots broke out in 31 countries across the globe because we took food off the plates of the poor and put it in our gas tanks.

In our rush to do something good for the environment we did not think though the consequences and hurt the poor. That was not justice. It was not mercy. And it did not love our neighbor. It was well intended, but a good intention is not good stewardship.

A good steward must weigh the costs and benefits to any action before proceeding. A good steward thinks through the consequences to determine if what is being sought is attainable and if so, what is the expense? Jesus tells of a man who, before building a tower, considers cost and if he is able to complete the task. He wants to be able to complete what he starts otherwise people will ridicule him (Luke 14:28-30). In light of God’s Word, if the expense is high and the benefit is low, other avenues must be explored.

A good steward looks at the track record of those involved before hiring someone for a job. Right now, the call for stewardship is looking to the federal government to assume control and regulate emissions from cows to cars and everything in between. How the government has managed other things (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Welfare, Katrina Relief, etc) should tell us that giving them more authority and responsibility is not good stewardship.

Good stewardship of creation begins with the truth found in Scriptures. We must have a good theological foundation. This foundation informs us as to what should be valued and in what order. From there we can begin to ask the how questions. For instance, Jesus summed up the Law and the Prophets with these two commands, Love God and Love your neighbor. These commands inform us as to what should be valued first and foremost.

Humanity and nature are connected, but we must understand the created order in which God has placed both and operate accordingly if we are to be good stewards. Loving our neighbor means clean water, better sanitation, and the elimination of diseases like malaria. It means producing abundant food that people can afford and materials for building housing. The how would allow humanity to flourish as well as creation.

Ezekiel 36:8-12 records the Lord speaking to the mountains of Israel. The Lord is promising the mountains that one day they will be restored. God’s picture of what restoration for the mountains looks like is human flourishing. Good stewardship understands this and works to that end.

We must ask the how questions in light of Scripture. We must evaluate the costs and benefits. We must examine the track record of those who wish to control the process. Only then are we allowed to entertain the notion that we are good stewards of creation.

Father Abraham (Passing the Baton) - A Sermon

Genesis 18:19
(Preached June 21, 2009 by Dale Tedder)

For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

Well, today is Father’s Day. Pat Morley has an interesting definition of Father’s Day. First he says that the definition of Mother’s Day is: “A day devoted to honoring mothers.” He then says that the definition of Father’s Day is: “A day to beat up men for not doing a better job!” That’s pretty accurate. You should read some of the articles that I’ve come across over the last couple of weeks about dads. It’s not pretty. Well not today! Today we’re going to look at a very famous father in the Bible and see what we all can learn from him.

The father I’m talking about is Abraham. God called Abraham when he was about 75 years old. God told him to leave his home, his comfort zone, and all that he knew. And Abraham obeyed God. A few years later (about 24 to be exact), God told Abraham that he would have a son (at 99 years of age!)

You see, God made a covenant with Abraham. He told Abraham that he would become a great nation. And God brought it to pass. It happened just as God promised it would. Just listen to these verses…

Genesis 17:5 - No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

Romans 4:16 - Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.

Galatians 3:29 - If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's
seed, and heirs according to the promise.

It’s because of verses like these that we’re able to sing “Father Abraham.” He is indeed the father of many sons – and daughters. He’s the father to all who have faith like him. In fact, Abraham’s name means, “father to many.”

So that brings up a question in my mind: Why did God make this promise to Abraham… of all people? Why did God promise that Abraham would be a father to many nations? Well, our verse tells us that it’s because God knew him – not just knew about him, but knew him… intimately. Scripture teaches us that Abraham held a special place in God’s heart, and yet Scripture is just as clear that there wasn’t anything particularly special about Abraham.

In other words, Abraham didn’t earn God’s favor. It wasn’t because he was stronger, or more righteous, or smarter than other people. It was simply out of grace that God sought a relationship with Abraham. And the kind of relationship that God entered into with Abraham was covenantal.

The word “covenantal” simply describes this idea found here: that God said to Abraham, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” That was the covenant that God made with him. This covenantal relationship meant that Abraham (and his family) would be set apart from the rest of the world. It also means that Abraham would, in a manner of speaking, be a partner with God – a co-worker or co-laborer with God.

Additionally, God promised, as part of the covenant, that he would pour out blessing upon Abraham for his faithfulness. Listen to these verses…

Genesis 12:2-3
"I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."

Genesis 17:6 - I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

And then, in the verse right before our verse, God reiterated his promise to Abraham…

Genesis 18:18 - Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.

You see, it was through Abraham and his descendents that the Messiah would come – the Lord Jesus Christ. The whole world would indeed be blessed through Abraham.

Another aspect that we need to understand about Abraham’s relationship with God… is that Abraham actually becomes God’s friend. His friend! That’s amazing! The God of all the universe – the sovereign God of heaven and earth stoops to call a mere (and sinful) mortal his “friend.”

2 Chronicles 20:7 - O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?

James 2:23 - And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.

What I want us to see this morning is how this interaction and relationship between God and Abraham provides us with a picture of how God works with us. You see, the way God treated Abraham is also the way God is with us. We love God because… why? Because we’re so smart? Because we’re so righteous? Or, because God first loved us? That’s the answer. God’s love is always previous to anything we do. He’s the One who first wants a relationship with us and who calls to us through his Holy Spirit to enter into that relationship.

I wonder… Do you have a personal relationship with God? One thing fathers (and all of us for that matter) can learn from this is that God is calling us to be in this same kind of relationship with him too. More than that, God calls us friends. Listen to these words from our Lord Jesus…

John 15:15 - I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Because Abraham was God’s friend, God let him in on his business. He told Abraham what was about to happen to Sodom and Gomorrah. Well, Jesus says that because we - as his disciples - are his friends, he has let us in on our Father’s business.

Are you God’s friend? If you have, by grace, responded to God through faith in his Son Jesus Christ, then God declares that you are his child, his heir, and his friend.

Well, besides the fact that it’s God’s character to first love us… and to initiate a relationship with us… we still should ask: Did Abraham have a particular responsibility or obligation from being in this relationship with God? Our text says that God chose him for this relationship…

…so that he [Abraham] will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just…

God was calling Abraham to begin a genealogy of faith where following God would be passed down from one generation to the next. As Pastor Bruce preached on several weeks ago, though we’re in the world we’re not to be like the world around us. We’re called to be different. The ways of God are different than the ways of the world.

Abraham was being called by God to teach, to shepherd, to direct, to nurture his children and his children’s children in the ways of God – ways that are just and right – ways that are different from the world. In the same way, God wants Christian parents to direct their children in the knowledge and ways of God.

Last year I preached on our call to pass our faith on from generation to generation. Well, this covenant with Abraham is where that idea really gets started. Abraham would pass his faith on to Isaac. Isaac would pass it on to Jacob. Jacob would pass it on to Joseph and all of Joseph’s brothers. And on and on and on.

In fact, the class that I’m teaching on Sunday nights is about this very thing. It’s called “Passing the Baton.” And one of the points of the study is that, like a relay race in the Olympics, the race is successful only if the baton is passed from one runner to the next. If it’s dropped, the race is over for that relay team. That’s true for our faith as well. If we don’t pass on our faith to the coming generations, they won’t be able to take it and run with it. They won’t be able to live it out. They won’t be able to share it with others. And they won’t be salt and light to a world in desperate need of God’s grace.

Last week at the 11:00 worship service we celebrated the baptism of a precious baby. I want to remind you all of what the parents, as well as the whole congregation commits to every time we baptize a child…

We are asked:

Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith and life and include this child now before you in your care?

We answer:

With God’s help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ. We will surround this child with a community of love and forgiveness, that he/she may grow in his/her service to others. We will pray for him/her, that he/she may be a true disciple who walks in the way that leads to life.

This is a commitment to pass the baton of faith to the next generation. And if we would successfully pass the baton of faith to the next generation, as Abraham did, then we must be faithful to God’s call in our lives.

Well, our verse this morning ends with a promise. God says that Abraham is to direct his children in the way of the Lord…

…so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.

I believe this describes for us that God works through means. And usually, we are the means by and through which God works. For example, God knows all things, and yet still invites us to pray… and he tells us that our prayers are effective. Or think about this: God could write the four spiritual laws in the clouds to bring people to faith in Christ, and yet he calls on us to share our faith with others.

I think our text is another example of this kind of thing. God called Abraham to direct his children in the ways of God – ways that are just and right. And if Abraham followed through and was obedient to God’s call, then God would work through Abraham’s children to achieve what God had promised Abraham – to make him a father of many nations.

Humanly speaking, the Church of Jesus Christ is always (theoretically) one generation from extinction. Now let me say that I don’t for a second think that God would ever let that happen. In fact, Jesus has already promised us that he is building his Church.

And yet, we have the same call as Abraham. Here’s the incredible thing: God’s promise to Abraham is actually fulfilled through our faithfulness in passing the baton of faith from generation to generation. God actually dares to make us the means by which he keeps his promise to Abraham. Amazing!

Therefore, on this Father’s Day, let us all commit to pursuing the faith and faithfulness of Father Abraham by passing the baton of faith to our children and our children’s children.

Amen.

Prayer for this Father's Day

Happy Father's Day

For our fathers, who have given us life and love,
that we may show them respect and love,
we pray to the Lord...

For our fathers who have lost a child through death,
that their faith may give them hope,
and their family and friends support and console them,
we pray to the Lord...

For men, though without children of their own,
who like fathers have nurtured and cared for us,
we pray to the Lord...

For fathers, who have been unable to be a source of strength,
who have not responded to their children
and have not sustained their families,
we pray to the Lord...

God our Father, in your wisdom and love you made all things.
Bless these men, that they may be strengthened as Christian fathers.
Let the example of their faith and love shine forth.
Grant that we, their sons and daughters,
may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

From The United Methodist Book of Worship

The Book of Acts, Part 10

Prayer Requests

If you have a prayer request for this week that you would like to share with others and me, please click on "comments" immediately below this post and write it out in the provided space. Doing that will enable anyone who clicks on "comments" to read and pray for your request(s).

You may also want to check back later to discover how you can pray for someone else...or offer your support and encouragement.

If you have a prayer request that is more private in nature, then please do not hesitate to email me directly. My email address is DaleTedder@yahoo.com. It would be an honor and a blessing to pray for you.

Blessings,
Dale

Pilgrim's Progress #72 - The Fate of Ignorance

The last sermon in this 72 week series of Pilgrim's Progress

Tozer Devotion for This Lord's Day

Reflecting on the Greatness of Christ

As I have said before, for a great number of unthinking people Christianity has come down to this: a nice, simple, relaxing way of having good clean fun, with the assurance that when this earthly life is over we will still go to heaven. We need to take ourselves by the scruff of the neck and vow, "I am going to think this thing through! I am going to pray through and lay hold of God's meaning for my life, for my witness and for my future!" Our Lord is trying to show us His amazing and significant plans for our eternal future.

In our relationships down here on earth, we learn of a father who has decided he will prepare an inheritance for his son. He is going to arrange for his son to come into possession of all that is in his estate: properties, bank accounts, stocks and bonds, possessions. The son will receive title to the entire estate when the inheritance becomes effective. Think of it! The son is coming into an inheritance none of which he ever owned or possessed.

But that is not the case with the title and possessions and authority and power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Already He is Lord. As the risen, eternal Son, He is seated in the heavenlies awaiting the day of universal consummation. In his Gospel, the apostle John has introduced us to the eternal Son, who from the beginning was the Word of God:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men (John 1:1-4).

Before there was an atom or a molecule, before there was a star or a galaxy, before there was light or motion, before there was matter or mass, the eternal Son was God. He was. He existed. He would have been there even if there had not been a creation, for He was the self-existent God. Therefore, all things in all places have always belonged to Him.

Verse: Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise . . . Psalm 48:1a

Thought: Christ has no beginning. He always was and is. He precedes all creation because He is the agent of creation. He is creator and heir of all things. How little we recognize His greatness!

Prayer: O God, I comprehend so little of the greatness of Christ. Forgive me. Expand my understanding, Lord, as I reflect on Your Word.

Taken from the Tozer Devotional page at the Christian Missionary Alliance

Rise Up, O Men of God

Happy Father's Day

Scripture for This Lord's Day

Psalm 78:1-8
A maskil of Asaph.

O my people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
[2] I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things from of old--
[3] what we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
[4] We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
[5] He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,
[6] so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
[7] Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
[8] They would not be like their forefathers--
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.

Slaves for Christ, Part 3 of 3

John MacArthur

Heidelberg Catechism: Lord's Day 25

The Sacraments

65. Question: Since then faith alone makes us share in Christ and all His benefits, where does this faith come from?

Answer: From the Holy Spirit,[1] who works it in our hearts by the preaching of the gospel,[2] and strengthens it by the use of the sacraments.[3]

[1] John 3:5; I Cor. 2:10-14; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 1:29. [2] Rom. 10:17; I Pet. 1:23-25. [3] Matt. 28:19, 20; I Cor. 10:16.

66. Question: What are the sacraments?

Answer: The sacraments are holy, visible signs and seals. They were instituted by God so that by their use He might the more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the gospel.[1] And this is the promise: that God graciously grants us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life because of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross.[2]

[1] Gen. 17:11; Deut. 30:6; Rom. 4:11 [2] Matt. 26:27, 28; Acts 2:38; Heb. 10:10.

67. Question: Are both the Word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation?

Answer: Yes, indeed. The Holy Spirit teaches us in the gospel and assures us by the sacraments that our entire salvation rests on Christ's one sacrifice for us on the cross.[1]

[1] Rom. 6:3; I Cor. 11:26; Gal. 3:27.

68. Question: How many sacraments has Christ instituted in the new covenant?

Answer: Two: holy baptism and the holy supper.[1]

[1] Matt. 28:19, 20; I Cor. 11:23-26.

Father's Day Stuff for Dads

This coming Sunday is Father's Day. I have the privilege of preaching on this very special day. My text will be Genesis 18:19, which is...

For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

And while you're here...

The National Fatherhood Initiative shares some encouraging words celebrating fathers, including this video...



Also, from The New Man Report...

Real Dads of Genius

I have an awesome dad. He's a man who likes a good chair and a good book. He's a man who loves his sports, especially when the Gators are playing. He's a leader in the church and a respected businessman in the community. God has gifted him with a great deal of wisdom and authenticity, two things that I absolutely love about him.

Ever since I can remember, I have always looked up to him and wanted to be like him.But one of the cool things about God is that he created every dad a little different. There are things all the good ones have in common (faithful, responsible, etc.), but each father out there is his own man and has his own style of fatherhood.

I want to salute all the different types of Christian dads out there in honor of Father's Day this Sunday. In the style of the "Real Men of Genius" commercials, here are New Man's "Real Dads of Genius":

Click here to read the whole post.

Whuppin' Up

by T.M. Moore at The Fellowship of Ailbe

And I would not have chosen to speak as harshly and sternly as I must; but the zeal of God compels me, and Christ's truth urges me, for love of my neighbours and children on whose behalf I gave up my parents and my homeland, and my very life until death.

- Patrick, Letter Against the Soldiers of Coroticus, Irish, 5th century

And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.

- John 2.15

What follows Patrick's opening explanation is a blistering letter against one Coroticus, a Pictish chieftain who claimed to be a Christian, but who had just barged in on a service of baptism, killed a few select believers, and hauled the rest off into slavery. Upon hearing of it, Patrick sent two priests to demand the release of the prisoners. They were laughed to scorn by Coroticus' men as they made their way back to their homeland. In response, Patrick wrote a letter of excommunication, condemning the savage act and the heartless men who committed it, consigning them to hell if they did not repent and do what was right before the Lord, and warning all who read this letter to give them no aid, comfort, or assistance of any kind. He then sent copies to all the villages ahead of the retreating soldiers.

There is a time, in building the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, to stand up to the brutes, buffoons, and braggarts, posing as leaders in the Church, who are destroying the life of the Body and the wellbeing of God's saints by substituting worldly measures for the plain teaching of Scripture. Jesus understood this as well. He was enraged at the way the house of God had become commercialized - money-making, head-counting, and keeping the crowds happy had replaced prayer and humility before the Lord. Jesus literally beat the hell out these sorry excuses for church leaders, just as Patrick would do with his words against Coroticus and his thugs.

There is a time for whuppin' up on those who think they are above the plain words of Scripture because their "proven methods" for "growing the church" have led to big congregations and fat budgets, but little in the way of real disciples. If such a tone and such language should, on occasion, appear on these pages, know that it is out of love for God's people and zeal for His house. Entrenched sin sometimes needs a sting on the backside before it will decamp the Lord's house.

Lord, do not let me blink at blatant sin or balk at speaking out whenever Your ways and Word are being compromised or ignored.

Adult Education

Taken from Building Church Leaders.com

My first experience teaching adult Sunday school was a lesson in humility and gratitude. Humility because, as a 27-year-old, I had plenty to learn from the group's senior members, which included a retired career missionary. Gratitude because, fresh from seminary, I tended to be too academic in my approach, but they always put up with me.

I also learned a valuable lesson about adult education in general: it's essential. As an article from this week's resource reminds us, "Effective adult education is a centerpiece of Scripture, both for individuals and for the entire fellowship."

To make that learning process dynamic and effective we've assembled Adult Education, a wealth of training on this topic. You'll find articles on the goals and objectives of adult education as well as self-evaluation forms and position descriptions for teachers. Check it out!

Adult education takes many forms in today's church. Some congregations stick with adult Sunday school. Others opt for mid-week Bible studies or small groups. Whatever venue your church prefers, I encourage you to take it seriously. The spiritual vitality of your members depends on it.

Method and Message

Taken from Gary Collin's coaching newsletter. You can read more by Gary Collings by clicking here.

Years ago I first encountered an idea that now is well established: How we communicate -- as coaches, counselors, teachers, advertisers or pastors -- is as important as what we communicate. Stated differently, what I say is shaped by how I say it. This is the foundation of Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith. Author Shane Hipps focuses on Christian beliefs and theology but his conclusions apply equally to business, academia, coaching and therapy.

Centuries ago, before reading was common (and well before TV), people spent time together, sharing stories, communicating with illustrations and images. This was the era of stain glass windows. The focus for believers was on Old Testament history, the Gospels, and ways of living. Then came the printing press that brought Bibles and other books. Words (including The Word) became more prominent than pictures. Readers learned to think abstractly. Emphasis on story and community was replaced by more individual focus on ideas, systematic theologies, New Testament Epistles, and personal relationships with Christ. Views of the Gospel changed. Songs became more about "Jesus and me."

Now we've become visual once again. Cameras, movies, television, Internet technology, text messages and email have changed the ways in which we relate, communicate, sell, and worship. There is increasing evidence that visual media rewires our brains so we learn and think differently, less abstractly, than we did even a few years ago. We must change our methods to communicate effectively with a contemporary, postmodern world. But in doing so we risk changing our message, including our long-held, man-made theologies, therapies, coaching, business and ministry practices. These changes can be unsettling. Sometimes they are ignored, feared, or resisted by leaders in theology, ministry, education or psychology. These men and women urge a return to rigid theologies, long-held theories, traditional preaching styles, and now outdated methods of the 1970s and earlier. Others know that we need to be like Paul in Acts 17. He adapted his message to his different audiences, but in so doing did he change his message? More next newsletter.

The Tedder Catechism: An Introduction

A catechism is one of the most useful tools available to help teach and disciple another person (or group of people) in the Christian faith. Anyone who has read my blog for more than a month knows that I regularly post the questions and answers from the Heidelberg Catechism each Sunday morning. My wife and I also make great use of the children’s version of the Westminster Shorter Catechism during our family worship time with our children.

Dictionary.com has a good definition of what a catechism is. The very first definition reads as follows:

an elementary book containing a summary of the principles of the Christian religion, esp. as maintained by a particular church, in the form of questions and answers.

That’s exactly right. And, I must add that using this elementary book to help pass along our faith to the next generation has been a real blessing.

I’ve also heard of families who have and use what they call their, “family catechism.” It’s “an elementary book” they have put together, not only to pass down their faith to their children and their children’s children, but also to pass down their family’s deeply held values, history, and traditions. What a great idea that is. This is an early work-in-progress in my own family (very early).

As a pastor I have enjoyed the great blessing of teaching and leading many Bible studies and small groups. Over the years we have studied many different books of the Bible as well as many different topics. The two constants throughout all of these studies are that:

1. the Bible is always our primary authority, and
2. we always use a study guide.

We believe, because it is God’s Word, that the Bible is always sufficient for being the foundation for our discussions. And we use a study guide because it aids us while we’re studying at home (keeps us in Scripture, keeps us on the same topic, etc.), but also because when we gather together, the curriculum guides our conversation via questions and answers.

The best study guides are the ones that first ask a few general questions to get us thinking about the big picture. Then, questions that cause us to thoroughly analyze the text come next (after all, the text is the foundation for the whole lesson). The next group (or kind) of questions focuses our attention on how the text is relevant to our own day and to our own lives. Finally, questions that point us in the direction of how we might apply what we’ve learned are absolutely essential to a good study.

This framework of questions and answers is one of the strongest ways to help us grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And while such study guides are not properly considered catechisms, they are nonetheless vital in helping us renew our minds, change our hearts, and transform our lives (humanly speaking, of course).

It is in that context that I offer the “Tedder Catechism.” I thought it might be fun (and certainly helpful to me… almost cathartic) to jot down some of the questions from study guides that I’ve worked through and taught over the years and to provide answers that I hope are true to the text and helpful to anyone who may have the patience to read them.

This is by no means a catechism in the sense that I think you ought to commit my answers to memory (and certainly not commit your life to them). Instead, it is my hope that perhaps the questions that I’m working through, and maybe even something in my answers, might spur you on to think about how you would answer a particular question in light of God’s Word – as well as in relation to who you are and where you are in your life. Hopefully, this exercise will also encourage you to apply your answers to your everyday living.

Yours for Renewed Minds, Changed Hearts, and Transformed Lives,
Dale